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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G.LE00 L V Distributing Currents to Electric Lamps. No. 231,725. Patented Aug. 31,1880.

n. PETERS, FHDTO-LITHOGRAFHEH, WASHINGTON D c (No Modelg).

, '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G-. LEUOQ.

Distributing Currents toElectrio Lamps.

Patented Aug. 31,1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrree.

GUSTAVE LEOOQ, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,725, dated August 31, 1880. Application filed May 26, 1880. (No model.) Patented in France January 26, 135

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE LECOQ, of Paris, France, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Distributing Currents to Electric Lamps or Candles, of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates to the system of lighting in which a number of J ablochkoft' candles or other electric lights or lamps held in a To chandelier are to be burned or lighted in succession, thus preserving the continuity of the light; and its object is to effect the necessary changes in the distribution of the current, so

that it is directed to a new candle when the one through which the current has been passing is burned out, or when, by some unforeseen ,circumstance, it is extinguished, although unconsumed, or, finally, when the candle to which the current is directed is broken or for any cause rendered unfit to burn, or so that it is directed through an artificial resistance when there are no more candles to burn. In the present invention these changes are effected automatically by means of the chandelier it- 2 5 self and a commutator, both of which are, to

this end, of special construction.

In order that the invention and the manner of carrying the same into effect may be the better understood, the automatic chandelier 0 and the commutator which operates in connection therewith will now be deseribed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- 3 5 Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, an elevation and plan of the chandelier; Fig. 3, an elevation, Fig. 4 a plan, Fig. 5 a bottom view, and Fig. 6 a vertical section, of the commutator and Fig. 7, a diagram illustrating the operation of the system.

Automatic cltanilclicr.The improvement in the chandelier has for its principal object the sending of the current, when a candle is con sumed, through the electro-ma-gnet of a mercu- 4 5 rialcommutator, hereinafter described,andthe causing the operation of the apparatus, so as to light the following candle. This result is obtained by means of the expansion-piece D, placed on the side of each candleholder, and

consisting of a spring formed of two superposed strips of metal with different OOOIllClGlltS of expansion.

As shown, the chandelier supports on a base ot'insulating material six camlle-holders, each composed of two standards, between which the candle is held by spring-pressure. The'inner standards are insulated from each other. The outer ones are connected at the bottom by a ring of metal.

M represents the binding-posts, one for each candle, by which the current enters the candles; and'N, a binding-post connected with the outer standard of all the holders, by which the current returns to the generator.

0 is a binding-post in permanent electrical connection with the arms P, and connected by a wire with the commutator, as hereinafter described.

There is no electrical connection between M and 0 so long as the expansion-piece D is cold; but when the candle is consumed the are then heats the expansion piece, and it makes contact with the corresponding arm P, so that N and O are connected. The current, finding less resistance by this new way, leaves the candle and passes by the post 0 to the electro-magnet of the commutator.

Automatic commutazor.This apparatus is intended, by operating in connection with the chandelier above described, to make the re- So quired changes in the direction of the current according to the circumstances before stated.

It consists of a vessel, u, of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material, divided into as many compartments or troughs c a a as there are candles to burn plus two. As shown. there are eight such compartments. Each of these compartments or troughs contains mercury. Into the first, a, dips a metal Zdisk, ,I), mounted on an arbor, c, journaled in suitable 9o bearings. This arbor carries as many rods (1 (l Coo, as there are candles to burn plus one, each rod being arranged radially on the arbor to make, with the preceding one, a constant angle, and lengthwise of the arbor in a posi- 5 tion corresponding with one of the divisions or troughs of the vessel a. The level of men cury in these divisions or troughs is so regulated that when one of the rods is on the point of leaving the mercury the following one is IOO the arms h h is equal to ,n being the num- The current of the magneto-electric 1n achinenormally passes through the coil of magnet B, which acts upon the end of the lever l. At the other end this lever carries a fork, f, of which the prongs are arranged so as to enter the mercury-cups ee when depressed. \Vhen the current passes through the coils of magnet B the lever l is attracted, and fork fis lifted out of cups e e,an'd there is no longer any connectionbetween them. It the current cease, the lever l is nolonger attracted and the fork drops into the two mercury-cups and connects them with each other; but at the same time, the current repassing through the magnet B, the lever l is attracted anew and breaks the connection.

M is an artificial resistance formed of a suitable'frame in which are arranged the bars t wound with coils,f of iron wire. Its object will hereinafter be explained.

The electrical connections are as follows, (see Figs. 4 and 7:) The poles of the magneto-electric machine Z are connected with posts and G. The post 0 is connected throughcoils of magnet B with mercury'cup e, and this latter, by the wire 15, with the mercury trough or compartment of vessel a, in which the plate I) dips. The trough a corresponding to red d, is connected through post-J, and the-troughs a to a are connected by means of the posts 1 to 6 of the commutator, the posts M of the chandelier, and intermediate conductors, with the inner standards of the several candle-holders. The connections with two only of the posts M are shown. The post N is connected with the post B. The posts B*, B, and B are all connected with each other. From the mercury-cup 0 there is a connection through the coils of magnet T with post B. The binding-posts of the resistance M are connected with the posts J and B The different cases which may arise will now be considered, and the operation of the apparatus described.

1. Circuit of the current when a candle is burning.-The machine Z sends the current through the commutator X to a chandelier or group of chandeliers of many candles each. In case there are other chandeliers or groups of chandeliers to be supplied by the same machine, the current then passes to other commutators and chandeliers or groups of chandeliers in succession, and finally returns to the machine. As shown, the current returns to the machine from the first chandelier. The current arrives by the post (3 and pasess through magnet B, which attracts the lever l and lifts the fork f out of the mercury-cups e c.

It then passes to the base of the cup e, and follows the wire it to the n'iercury-trough in whiclf the disk 1) turns. rent passes by the disk I), supporting-arbor 0, one of the rods, (l to d, which dips in the mercury in vessel (1, and the corresponding one of the posts 1 to 6, to the post M of the holder of Thence the curthe candle which is burning. It passes through the candle to the post N, thence to post B to B, and to the nextcomm utator,if used, or back to the machine Z.

2. Cireaitwhen the candle is extinguished while In this case the circuit of the current is broken, the electromagnet B ceases to attract lever l, which turns on its fulcrum, so that the forkf dips in the cups 0 e. The current then Jranning, 07 when there is an imperfect eandle.-

passes from 0 through B to e to e, through coils of magnet T to post B and thence to B, to return to the machine Z. The passage of the current through magnet T causes it to at tract the lever B and moves the arms h h. The

arbor e is revolved one step, and the current l, and breaks the connection between the cups 5 e e and cuts out the magnet T. If there are two or more bad candles, the current will be interrupted and the electromagnetic escapement will operate twice, thrice, or oftener until it enters a perfect candle.

3. Circuit when, the candle being consumed, the expansion-piece 0perates.By the operation of the expansionpiece D electrical communication is established between M and 0, through said piece and one of the arms P, to the post 0; To the post M the current follows the same circuit as while the candle is burning; but finding less resistance by the piece D, it passes through it, arm P, post 0, and conductor to post 1. 1t then-passes through the electromagnet T, and escapes by way of thepost B which is in communication with the return line from post B. By the passage of the current through the electro-magnet T the lever B is attracted and the arms h raised, so as to revolve the arbor e and cause the next in its order of the rods d to dip in its mercury-trough. The current then ceases to pass by the former candle-holder, the lever B drops, and the second or succeeding candle burns.

4. Case where there are no more candles, or when it is wished to put out the light.If the last candle is burned out and the arbor cis moved one step, then the last rod (d on drawings) dips into the mercury in its trough. The current then passes from the post J through the resistance M'*, which is equal to the resist ance of one candle, to the post B (or B if desired,) and then through B and the return-wire to the machine.

The arbor which carries the rods d is provided at one end with a pointer, 19, which moves IOC IIC

over a dial, q, marked into 12+ 1 divisions, and

placed so that when the apparatus is incloscd,

as shown in Fig. 6, its condition can be readily ascertained.

A commutator, Y, may be placed in the conductor between the machine Z and post 0, so as to send the current directly into the re sistance through the post B or B, when it is wished to put out the light. The connection would be between one of said posts B B and the post y of the commutator.

It will be understood that in place of a chandelier for candles, electric lamps or burners of any other systems, arranged on the same circuit or 'receivin g the current from the same magneto-machine, or other source otelectricity, could be substituted. My system of distribution by commutator applies also to these different cases. It is sufficient to modify the disposition of the expansiondeco so as to adapt it to each type of'burner.

Having thus fully described my invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a chandelier or group of holders for electric candles, burners, or lamps, and electrical conductors, of a distributer of electric currents and an electromagnetic escapement for operating said distributer automatically by interruptions of the current through said chandelier or group of holders, substantially as described.

2. The C0lllbll1flbl0ll,Wltll a series of lines or conductors, of a distributer of electric currents controlled by an electromagnetic cscapement, said distributer acting, on the interruption of the current through one of said lines or conductors, to direct it to another throughout the series, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a holder or support for an electric candle or carbon pencil, of a circuit-closing expansion-piece arranged as indicated, so that it is heated by the consumption of the last part of the candle or carbon pencil, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a chandelier or group of holders for electric candles, burners, or lamps, expansion-pieces for said holders, and electrical connections, of an automatic commutator comprising a distributor of electric currents and an electro-magnet for operating the same, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a distributor for elec tric currents, an electromagnetic escapement for operating said distributor, an electromag netic circuitcloser, and electrical connections, said circuit-closer acting to momentarily close a circuit through the magnet of said escape ment, and its own magnet being included in said circuit, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a source of electricity, a chandelier of electric lights or group of chandeliers, an automatic commutator for each chandelier, an artificial resistance or resistances, and electrical connections, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

G. LEOOQ.

Witnesses Row. M. Hoornn, O. MUNIER.

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